Welcome to Precious Time

Cooking up a storm



The weather has been absolutely horrible but I know every quilter is secretly jumping with glee inside – we can’t wash therefore no ironing – we don’t have to take the children to cricket/soccer/tennis – we don’t garden in the rain but are very thankful that the plants are receiving water – what more is there left to do other than sew.  My darling Stephanie would say cook dinner but that never changes no matter what the weather does.  So it turns out that this horrible weather for the rest of the family is just perfect for this member of the family. 

The shop is still in birthday sale mode and we have a wonderful collection of fabrics still available – it is a fantastic time to come and grab gorgeous fabrics for the backs of your quilts at bargain prices.  As I run my hands over what is left I find myself contemplating– the quilt I had planned to make (never quite getting there obviously) – how beautiful the fabric would be in a shirt or better still a skirt or cushions and pillowcases – I love that the desire to create never stops flowing through my body.  Sometimes it gets a bit stuck when there is stress, deadlines or general busyness around but it is a drug when it starts flowing:  new fabrics – new designs – start now – that project can wait – I need new! 

 

So with the desire for new, we decided to freshen up the shop for the start of a busy 2012.  Time, as we all know goes so quickly and this coming May we will have been in our new home for 3 years – so it is well and truly time for a Summer clean.  If you haven’t been to visit for a little while then pop in and see the new layout – amazingly, not quite sure how – we have ended up with a lot more free space within the shop – it is open, fresh and definitely not so squeezy!  I know that you all can’t just pop in for a visit, so here are some images that I hope will give you an idea of how cozy yet welcoming the shop is. Of course if you can’t stay away we would love a visit and the chance to say hi over a cuppa and a homemade treat!

 

When my DH married me he didn’t exactly get “Little Miss Homebody” – I do love a clean house, the washing and ironing done and put away, the windows sparkling and a good evening meal on the table – it’s just that I am a little more interested in my quilting and the occasional: gift shop/theatre/movie/book shop/kitchen shop etc.  I get by with the basics around the house so in an effort to improve my game this year I have decided to take more interest in one of my household duties and of course the most interesting is food.  So this year I am taking some cooking classes – the first of which was today and I have to say that it was absolutely one of the best things I have done.  DH will be awarding gold stars if I can replicate my learning at home – on the menu was a Champagne Cocktail, Vietnamese Chicken Salad, Pan Fried Salmon (lemon butter) on a bed of kifler potatoes, beans & almonds with a homemade lemon and chive mayonnaise.  Of course there was desert, which was a twist on the classic Aussie Pavlova – all washed down with a glass of lovely crisp white wine.  I can hear the “yum’s” escaping your lips………..  I can’t wait to go home and share this newfound knowledge and skill with family and friends. 

Go along and see the girls at Sauce and book into a class you too will be amazed at what you can achieve and if you are already a smarty-pants in the kitchen go anyway for the experience, fun and new friends.  To prove I can cook here are the before and after photos (just in case you thought it may have been inedible).  

 

 

Above is another lovely quilt from our Dali Lama of quilting – Kay.  It is Lucy Boston, which is all English Paper Pieced.  Kay brought it in to share with us all and to inspire her to finish piecing the border – which is so close to being finished.  Another gorgeous quilt to encourage us to keep working on our projects – the delight you feel in the accomplishment of finishing is like a drug (different to the drug of choice when starting a new quilt) but still just as effective. I hope to feel it one day soon.  I have been fearless in stick ability in respect to my orphaned UFO and am one star away from finishing the hand applique border.  Soon it will have borders attached and be off to the quilter for the next stage in it’s renewed life.   I really am excited to be finishing this quilt – quilts bring different things to a home – in earlier times it would have brought warmth and protection to women travelling by wagon, to some it’s sole purpose would have been beauty, but to me this quilt brings a sense of warmth and love – I am very much looking forward to being wrapped up in it.

If you are stuck in the middle of this rainy spell I hope you have some stitching and the love of family and friends to keep you company.

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.  Dolly Parton

............lisa 

 

It's our birthday and to celebrate we are on Sale.

As the rain falls on our roof tonight and my girls rush around making last minute preparations for school tomorrow it brings back memories of my mum taking us to school in January in our bright yellow raincoats and hats.  I wonder if they still sell them – so cute –my girls would probably say not!  I have a big year ahead with my eldest starting the final year of school – so of course this means a busy year with school work, her part-time job at the Dance Shop and of course all the social events that go hand in hand with Year 12.  

Not only will I have a busy year at home but also at the shop as we host a bevy of wonderful tutors during the year and it is also my commitment to keep having gorgeous quilts and projects in the shop to inspire you to create beautiful heirlooms for your home and family. 

So it is refreshing to start the year with a clean slate and what better way to do that then with our yearly birthday sale.  This year we celebrate our 10^th birthday and as I sit, typing this post I feel truly blessed to have been able to spend those years sharing my love of quilts and fabrics with you all.  I have loved sharing your quilts, I have laughed and cried over shared stories, have been overwhelmed by your hunger to learn and inspired by your appreciation of the wonderful quilt makers that have gone before us.

So enough reminiscing – our Brithday Sale starts on Friday morning at 9.30am and runs until close on Sunday afternoon.  Due to the Australia Day holiday the sale will only run for 3 days instead of the usual week.  Our sale hours will be Friday 9.30-4.30, Saturday 8.30-4.00 & Sunday 9.30-2.00.

Majella and I started to pull the fabrics for the sale today and let me tell you there are some fantastic fabrics available in the sale this year – we have a fantastic range of backgrounds, country, bright, pastel all from our favourite designers like Joel Dewberry, Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett, Blackbird Designs, Kansas Troubles – just to name a few.  You could make a mountain of gorgeous quilts from the fabrics that have been chosen for the sale, but I warn you they will go quickly and as always if you bring cash your dollar will go further. 

This week we welcomed a very happy range called Pam Kitty by Lake House.  Pretty pinks and soft cherry, crisp and clear greens, delightful blues and happy yellows make up this range – we have a project under way and I am sure that you will all be absolutely thrilled when it is revealed. I hope this truly delightful fabric tempts you.

 

 

These last few fabrics are from a different range - Home to Roost - they are so darling that I couldn't leave them out. Hope you like them.

I always love to see the quilts that my customers and their friends or family members are working on and it is always such a pleasure to be able to share them with you all.  So today Majella and I were so excited when both Kay and Kyleigh (must be something special in the letter K),brought in quilts to share.

 

 

 

Quilt:  Flower Pots

Designer:  Kim McLean

Fabrics:  Kaffe and Friends

Started: Februay/March 2011

Finished: January 2012

Method:  Machine Appliqued

 

 

 

Quilt: Square Dance

Designer:  Sue Daley

Fabrics: Kaffe and Friends, Anna Marie Horner

Started:  December 2011

Finished: January 2012

Method:  English Paper Piecing and Hand Applique

 

It makes me want to start working again on my Flower Pots but my stick-ability is staying strong and remains loyally attached to my orphan quilt.  I have one flower and two stars remaining to be hand appliqued and the borders to be sewn and voila!  I promise I will share it all with you when it is finished – my sewing soul is excited by the thought of finishing this much loved quilt.  Of course it will then set my SS free to start something new – yah. 

This post seems to have gone on for quite a bit and am fearful that I will soon bore you.  In the next post another date claimer for next year (already – I know – I hope I have you wondering), a new class with Bev McClune and more new fabrics and books to share with you. 

A quick housekeeping matter before I go.   Class registration forms will be going out in the post after the sale so please keep an eye out for them. You need to complete and return the form to ensure your place in class. I have been so excited by your response to the wonderful tutors that are visiting Precious Time and look forward to sharing these fantastic classes with you. 

Quilts draw us close to those we love and pull our hearts toward home.

Catch up with you soon………..lisa

 

A new year..........

What an unforgettable start to the year unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.
We like so many of you have been heart broken by the loss of lives and devastation
caused by the recent floods within our region.  Our thoughts and prayers have been with
all our fellow Queenslanders who have been touched by recent events.  Like so many
we would love to do our part to help those who have lost so much.  On Sunday 27 February
we will be making quilts which we will then donate to the Salvation Army to distribute
to families affected by the floods.  It is our wish that these quilts be donated to families in the
Grantham and Murphy's Creek communities. If you can spare a few hours to help
sew, cut or press on Sunday it would be truly appreciated.  Please give the shop a call if you
are free to help. Glenda one of our Victorian customers has offered to quilt our finished tops
at no charge.  A big thank you to Glenda for her kind offer and to everyone that called
or emailed the shop to say hi and make sure that we were safe and dry. 

As always we start the year off with our birthday sale.  This year with Australia
Day falling on Wednesday we have made the decision to run the sale over 4 days. So
from Thursday 27 January to Sunday 30 January we will be on sale.  Fabrics will start
at $5.00 per metre with the usual minimum cut of 1 metre.  We are unable to lay-by or hold
sale fabrics.  This is a great time to come and get beautiful fabrics for backings of your
quilts.  Anyone who has been to our sale in past years will agree that it is a sale not to be
missed.

We are getting very excited as our weekend classes with Kaffe Fassett draws closer.  We
have been madly cutting kits for our customers in readiness.  Majella and I have
been oohing and aahing over the gorgeous fabrics as we choose the next selection, even
getting sad as the last piece of one of our favourites is sold.  We can't wait to share this
wonderful experience with all the ladies who are booked into the classes.

The class listing has been finalised and is now on the website.  Just click on the classes tab
at the top and then the PDF file to find out about all the wonderful projects on offer.
The recent events have had an emotional toll on all of us and what better way to help
one another then to come together enjoy each others company, sew much or little,
talk and take comfort from like minded sewing sisters.

The holidays has seen Majella and I busily working on new projects for the shop and one of
the new groups for this year is Glorious Applique.  We have been auditioning fabrics and
have even managed to do some stitching for two new quilts both from Kim McLean.  
I have been in love with Lollipop Trees for years now and have finally bitten the bullet
and started and I have to tell you that choosing the fabrics has been a joy and I find
myself addicted by the colour and shapes ........my fingers are starting to itch to stitch.  The image below is the first block of Flower Pots, another of Kim's many gorgeous quilts.  I will post an image of my first two blocks of Lollipop Trees when I remember to have my camera and them together.  I always seem to have without the other at the moment.

 

I stitched for a few days at Buderim while my family and I were guests at Circle Retreat.  It is a fantastic house in Buderim available for quilters, scrapbookers or families.  There is plenty of room for everyone with the house built over 3 levels including a swimming pool and spa.  I can highly recommend sitting on the deck Mt Coolum in the distance while sipping a glass of champagne and stitching.  You can find more information about Stacey and Mark's house on the following link. http://www.circleretreat.com.au/  I hope it works as I am a beginner still with this little trick, if not I apologise in advance and you will need to search the old fashioned way.

Loking forward to keeping in touch more this year.  Lisa

Help celebrate our 8th Birthday

Come and help us celebrate our 8th year with our annual birthday sale.  It will
commence on Wednesday 27 January and finish on Sunday 31 January.  This is
our major sale of the year and as always it is not to be missed. We will
have a huge selection of fabrics available at the amazing price of $12.00 per metre.
If you can pay cash for your purchase the cost per metre will be reduced to
$10.00.  This is a fantastic saving for you and a great time to be thinking
about purchasing backing fabrics for all the wonderful quilts you want to make.
Anyone who has been to one of our sales in the past will testify that we offer quality
quilting fabric for a great price.  So come and help us make way for all the wonderful
new fabrics coming into the store in the next few months and grab a terrific bargain for
yourself.  Included in the sale will be a selection of books, layer cakes and jelly rolls.
We are unable to hold or layby sale fabrics.  Looking forward to seeing you during the week.

Team Precious